HEAT
by Sailor Silver Ladybug
Summary: How is it that the Senshi don't end up alone? On Usagi's twenty-first birthday Luna explains something that shocks our young heroine and sends her and her dashing masked protector on a quest of epic proportions. They must find all the missing mates of the Senshi and get them married before the Cataclysm. How can they possibly do it with a few tiny stowaways? Lemons abound!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. I do have my own characters (OC's) who may appear at any time in my series. They, any changes to characters (AC's), and any changes to plot are my own. I will not receive any monetary compensation for this work.

**Author's Note:** This takes place after Stars... the enemies that may be faced will be from one of my created enemies if they do appear. My OC Haruki and AC Shingo will definitely be part of the story at some point, and who knows, if people really like it I may continue with all of my rescued enemy-turned-hero characters! Let me know! There will be reader responses throughout this story!

**Reader's Note:** Here's what you have to know. Usagi and Mamoru are the only male-female couple with a Soul-Bond as of chapter one. Haruki and Shingo are still clueless about who they are, having had the block put on them until they reach a certain age. Our heroes are the first of a new generation and there are many Crystals that still need to be reborn, from all those who died in their past life but were not part of saving the world once they were reborn. Those Crystals all still have a purpose, but theirs is for the future. So Luna has to sit down and have a conversation with Usagi on her twenty-first birthday.

There will most definitely be lemons...

**Acknowledgements:** I just have to thank my friend and beta Astraearose-silvermoon for her help! She rocks. You should go read her stuff!

* * *

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY 2020

* * *

**HEAT**  
**Chapter One**  
_**Usagi Learns Something New**_

* * *

Luna coughed. "Usagi, I need you to pay very close attention to what I'm about to say."

Usagi, who was fawning over a set of earrings she'd been given by her husband for her twenty-first birthday, waved her hand at the little black cat. "I'm listening," she lied. She thought they were kawaii. He'd handed them to her almost first thing that morning.

"Tsukino Usagi put those down right this minute and give me your full and undivided attention!" Luna yelled.

Usagi, startled, dropped the earrings back into their box and stared at her advisor with tear-filled cerulean eyes. "Hai. I'm listening to you Luna," she said softly.

The cat sighed. "I'm sorry that I yelled Usagi," she answered, shaking her head. "I need to talk to you about something very important and I really need you to listen carefully."

"Okay," Usagi said softly, hands in her lap.

Her blonde hair was down at the moment, since she hadn't even gotten dressed for the day. Or made the bed, Luna noted. Then again, Mamoru had only let her out of it ten minutes before. She shook her head. It all played a part in the conversation they were about to have.

"You are twenty-one now Usagi-chan. And because of that, there is something you must know."

"What?" Usagi asked, curious.

"When a person who protects a Crystal reaches the age of twenty-one, if one member of the couple is not already with child, the Crystal they carry will put them into a sort of Heat, for lack of a better word. Or for a male, Rut. It happens cyclically, which means it repeats for a significant event or series of events. For instance, the Silver Crystal, which you carry, will begin to send you into Heat every full moon. In your case it is a much stronger heat for things like a super moon or a red moon. Anything that has an effect on the distance between the moon and the earth with have an effect, so those months when the moon is closer in it's orbit you will have a libido that is unmatched at any other time."

"What are you trying to tell me Luna?" Usagi asked. "That I will want to have sex more?" She was a little uncomfortable with the conversation, but she had to get it over with. She needed to know.

"Yes. Right now you have a major issue. Your generation needs to bring back so many who had to wait for rebirth after the destruction of the Silver Millennium. The queen had so many to reset, but not all of them were involved with the prophecy. Do you understand?"

"Hai. That means that all the heroes we've gathered together have to have more kids than our kind normally would."

"Precisely. Of the eight queens who came before you, only two had more than four children. There was a need for the Silver Moon Crystal to have an heir, as well as the Blue Moon Crystal and the New Moon Crystal, which protected the Dark of the Moon. Sometimes however another Crystal needed to be reborn. Sometimes many. In those times the royals would find themselves in Heat more often and it lasted well beyond the normal time frame."

"So you're saying I will go into heat often."

Luna looked carefully around the room, making sure Mamoru wasn't hiding under the bed. "Usagi, I'm afraid to tell you, but Mamoru will win The Argument."

Usagi gasped and shook her head. "No."

"Thirteen Usagi."

"Not real. It's not real. Nope." Usagi put both hands over her crotch, trying to protect herself from delivering thirteen babies. It just sounded like far too many. She caught sight of Luna who was trying to look serious but failing miserably when she broke into cackles of laughter. She stuck her tongue out at her friend and advisor. "Alright, I know I'm being ridiculous. Yume said it was thirteen? Really?"

"He did," Luna confirmed. "And the others will all be nearly as prolific I fear."

"But some of them don't want children." Usagi knew there were several among those they'd saved from enemy clutches who definitely weren't interested in having kids. Ever.

"Their Crystals will take that into account," Luna said, "Many change their minds later in life, but there is also the chance of a Motherhood or Fatherhood bond."

"A what?"

"They could go to someone they are close with and ask that person to carry the child who would hold the next Crystal. It is how you were reborn to Ikuko and Kenji, who your former parents trusted with their children already in your last life. They accepted the motherhood and fatherhood bonds easily and with gratitude. It is how you now have a sister and brother as well. The Queen and king went to them and asked for help."

"But my sister..." Usagi's brow furrowed. "She has my aunt's crystal now. It wasn't originally hers, but she needed it's healing powers. So could that happen to other babies?"

"Sometimes. Your Aunt was a special case however. She and her husband did not go to be reborn."

"Why?"

"When a soul is reborn many times it learns new things. Eventually the soul becomes able to move on. The Crystal that carried it can then be given to another. Some choose to stay on until their soulmate is ready to move on, others stay for fear of what is out there, while still more stay because they have a duty they can't yet give up. Her soul was ready to move on several lives ago, but her soulmate was not. Now that he is, they both chose to move on to give your sister a chance at life."

"Where do we go when we move on?"

"I don't know," Luna said honestly. "No one understands all the mysteries of the universe. We can only understand certain aspects about our own creators. We can only grasp what we've seen and felt in our lives. There is so much out there we just don't know."

"Do we know how many times my soul has been reborn?" Usagi asked.

Luna smiled. "Three. You lived as Queen Serenity the First, as Princess Serenity, who would have been the Ninth, and now as Usagi who will be the Ninth."

Usagi was curious about something. She bit her lip and frowned, considering what she had not heard. "Luna?"

"What is it, Usagi?"

"If we start going into heat sometime after we turn twenty-one, and it keeps happening until a child is born to the soul-bonded couple or group, then why hasn't Mamoru been in heat?"

"He has been in Rut Usagi," Luna said softly.

"No he hasn't," Usagi argued. "I would have known."

Luna laughed. "Usagi, you've complained about it dozens and dozens of times."

Wrinkling her nose, Usagi sat back and thought through what Luna had just said. What did she complain about to do with Mamoru. Anything about sex? At all? She didn't think so, except that he was literally always in the mood, could go almost instantly after coming once, and had an extreme need to... oh. "You mean he's constantly in heat?" she asked, shocked.

"Rut. And yes. Almost the moment he turned twenty-one," Luna said, shaking her head. "If it wasn't for certain other factors, I'm afraid you would never leave the house."

"Other factors?" Usagi asked curiously.

Luna cleared her throat. "The former holder of his Crystal," Luna explained. "The former king has been helping him hold himself back. Teaching him. Unfortunately, soon your own Crystal will begin to send you into heat. When that happens you will both need to stay on the moon or in Elysion until it runs its course."

"So what triggers his... Rut?" Usagi asked, curious now.

"There are several triggers," Luna said. "Even in the middle of the harshest winter there is still growth somewhere in the world. Things on earth are always growing, which means part of him is always in Rut." She cleared her throat.

"The phases of the moon are one of the biggest triggers. His cycle is somewhat locked to yours in an odd way. Then there is the fact that certain male species of animals on earth go into their own form of rutting behavior, or something even greater called musth, like bull elephants during specific seasons or due to certain triggers. For instance some animals mate in the fall, some in spring, some at any time. Some animals can even trigger a female to ovulate. He is linked to all of that."

Usagi and Luna blushed at the last part. Usagi knew a male cat could put a female into heat. Luna and Artemis, though from Mau, were quite closely linked to human cats, having a related ancestor species. When Usagi realized Artemis was nearly always in trouble with Luna, and that the cat had been spurning his advances for the past several years, she put two and two together.

"Wait," she snorted. "You mean to tell me you two haven't..." she trailed off at Luna's fierce glare.

"If you must know, even if there was a birth control for my species, it wouldn't work. When the Crystals we carry go into Heat or Rut, unfortunately you will always get pregnant."

"This is so unfair!" Usagi groaned. "I'm the only one who is Soul-Bonded to a boy out of all the Senshi!"

Luna nodded. "Which is why, the very moment your first Heat ends and you are pregnant, you and Mamoru will be going on a journey."

"Where?" Usagi asked.

"I don't know." Luna shrugged. "You just have to find the mates of all the others. The queen said it was vastly important. She said when you made your Wish, after your fight with Metalia, the Shitennou were returned to their former lives. She also explained that Setsuna is under the belief that her mate is dead, though he is very much alive, and that not only hers, but Hotaru's mate also, is someone close to you. I thought about perhaps Umino, but that doesn't track because all the Senshi have met him and they would have sensed something."

"Wait, what about Michiru and Haruka?" Usagi asked, blushing. "How would they...?" she trailed off, unsure.

"Their case is special," Luna said. "When Haruka makes a visit to the Shrine of her former kingdom she will find the answer. That is all I was told. They both have to go together the next time Haruka goes into Heat, which happens to coincide with when Michiru does. They've already experienced Heat several times, which is why they've been away so often. We figured sending them to their old rooms on the Moon would make it easier."

"And the other girls?"

Luna only shook her head. "Their triggers are for them to know, and not to share with anyone under twenty-one, and then only whom they choose."

"Doesn't anyone ever go into heat early?" Usagi asked.

"Actually," Luna said, "It almost happened to yourself and Mamoru." She frowned. "According to Serenity there are dozens and dozens of possible timelines. In some you never become Sailor Moon. In others the Dark Kingdom or another enemy you have faced wins. In still others it is very similar to what you have here and now." She frowned. "In some you become a mother at sixteen, others not until after the Cataclysm. In some you only ever have one child, a girl. In others you have many children. You are supposed to have many. Crystals are still waiting in the cauldron to be reborn. Now we both know that the twins will be born on your twenty-second birthday, which means that in three months time I am rather sure, you will have your first Heat."

"So I have three months until Mamoru and I go nuts. Why can't I try and find the others in the meantime?"

"Because, of all the Crystals, only the Silver and Gold Crystals can be used to hold back someone in heat. If you found one of the men and he went into heat before his soulmate was ready, you would be unable to calm him as you and Mamoru would be unable to stop yourselves from being with one another. As would whatever man went into heat. He would probably harm himself quite drastically to prevent himself from hurting his Soul-Bonded, especially if he didn't know what was happening to him."

"Hurting her?" Usagi asked, worried now.

Luna nodded. "This is a very terrifying change for males. Calm, ordinary men can become aggressive, bossy, and territorial. They will start fights with other males who go into heat near their mates. They will herd their mates. Keep them close, overprotected." Luna sighed. "Mamoru came to us in a panic, days after his twenty-first birthday. He started shouting that he was going to become abusive and begged us to tie him up. We had forgotten, so we didn't prepare him."

"What do you mean?" Usagi was worried. She had known none of this.

"Do you remember, shortly after his birthday, you were wearing that pink sundress with the silver sparkling ribbon on it?"

Usagi nodded. That had been the day Mamoru had pulled her into the back room of the Crown, kissed her, torn her dress, and then he'd suddenly backed away from her and run out for the girls, sending them to her before disappearing for the rest of the night. It had been one of their only fights since they'd become a couple.

Later he'd told her he'd seen a return of an old nightmare and had panicked. Learning that was a lie made her heart clench. Usagi wanted to know the truth. "What really happened?" she asked.

"Motoki paid you a compliment."

"Huh?"

"Motoki said you looked pretty in your dress. Mamoru followed him into the kitchen and punched him. Then he grabbed you and took you into the back room. He could think only of two things. Proving to everyone that you were his, which in his mind meant very obvious bites and hickeys."

"And the second thing?"

"Getting you pregnant. His mind was screaming at him to get you pregnant so other males would stay away from you. He didn't have enough control over himself or his emotions and no one had told him what to expect. He was sure he'd been about to force you against your will. That's when he came to us. He couldn't have, of course. The Crystal he carries would have stopped him from doing anything to harm you, and your Soul-Bond would have made sure he knew you actually wanted it, but he was in such a state of panic he didn't remember any of that."

"So how does he control it now?" Usagi asked. "It can be a little annoying at times. I mean I was late to school almost every day of my senior year because once wasn't enough for him in the mornings. That can't be under control, can it?"

Luna laughed. "Usagi, think about that, and all the other things you've told me, or that I've just recently shared with you." She shook her head. "He is constantly in Rut, though usually nothing as bad as when the moon is at it's fullest or when certain other animals go into rut in the spring and fall. He can orgasm repeatedly, and his seed can make your body ovulate, basically sending you into a smaller heat. Do you understand what that means?"

Usagi gulped. "It means that he could keep going until..."

"Exactly. Now there are things that can be done if the two of you want time between children. The Silver Crystal can sort of hold back the Golden if you are not in Heat yourself." Usagi nodded. She would have to learn how to do that.

"Alternatively, if both of you come into it again at the same time and you choose not to reproduce you must not be on the same planet. In other words, either you will be in seclusion on the moon, or he will be in Elysion until such a time as your Heat subsides and his Rut is no longer at peak." That seemed perfectly possible, though Usagi was sure it was much more difficult than it sounded.

"The last option is to trick both Crystals into thinking you are already pregnant, very similar to how certain types of birth control work, which only the priest of Elysion can do."

"But Helios is asleep!" Usagi said. "He went into the Long Sleep so he and Chibi-Usa could finish growing up together."

"Quite true," Luna murmured. "But then we also know whatever this Cataclysm is, it will hit 'soon after Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Mamo are born.' That's what the Oracle told us. So you have three months before you go into Heat, another nine months after you get pregnant to find all the others, and then it could happen at any time."

"I knew about the Shitennou," Usagi admitted. "And I already know who the others are. Neo-Queen Serenity told me. Why did my future self ask me to keep the others a secret if I'm just going to wake them up now?" Usagi asked. "I've never understood why I couldn't tell them." She had been told by the queen that none of the girls could know the Shitennou still existed. She'd never even spoken of it.

"I can't be sure Usagi," Luna said. "I think it was because to accept their soulmates, after all they've been forced to do to them, the girls truly had to understand what an eternity of loneliness looked like. Or it could just be to protect the timeline. I don't know if we will ever figure it out."

* * *

**Reader Response:** By now, most of you who have read at least one of my stories, know my pairings. The list below are the pairings I have set in stone. They are OTP for me. True love for all stories. Won't be changed. Now that that's out of the way. Read through the list and tell me, after Usagi and Mamoru, who should I pair up next? I do sort of have to leave Shingo and Hotaru for last because they are the youngest by a couple years.

Usagi and Mamoru - FIRST/Hotaru and Shingo - LAST

Choose from the following and tell me who you want the most.

Setsuna and Haruki  
Michiru and Haruka  
Minako and Kunzite  
Rei and Jadeite  
Ami and Zoicite  
Makoto and Nephrite

There will be at least two chapters for each couple. One on finding the Senshi's soulmate, and one on their first Heat. There may be more chapters for each, depending on how the story progresses. Sometimes battles sneak their way in, or some interesting side quest might come up. I really hope you all like where I go with the story. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** The lemons will start in the next chapter. Sorry about the wait, but I had a really funny idea for Usagi going into heat and had to do it justice. Happy Reading!  
Sailor Silver Ladybug ~Tori

* * *

**HEAT  
Chapter Two  
It Begins  
**

* * *

Mamoru wasn't sure how much more he could take. For nearly three years he had been enduring the aches and pains associated with not fulfilling his needs with Usagi. She was still too young to have entered heat herself, but now she could go into it at any time. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. Had Luna talked to her yet? Was she going to be afraid of him?

Pacing from one side of the apartment to the other, Mamoru waited and wondered. At a sound in the hallway, he turned, and sighed in relief as he stood in the middle of his kitchen. Usagi walked into the room with pink cheeks and her shirt on inside out. Hiding his chuckle, Mamoru hurried to help her fix it and stood back to admire his handiwork. She had obviously spoken to Luna. That was a huge relief. He wouldn't be forced to hide the struggle he was under.

"You look beautiful, as always," he told her, with a kiss to her temple, then another on her sweet lips.

Still blushing, Usagi peeped up at him from under her long lashes. "It's been almost three years Mamo-chan," she said softly. "You suffered for three years. I'm so sorry. "

"Hush Usako. None of this was your fault." Mamoru pulled her close and just held on to her. "There is far more to us than sex. Always has been, always will be."

"I just wish…" Usagi trailed off.

"Wish what Usako?"

"I wish I had understood. I must have made it more difficult for you."

"Nah," Mamoru lied. Unfortunately, Usagi was born a touchy-feely person, and it had been harder to fight his needs because of it. But it was worth it. He would always cherish the times they spent together on many other things.

Feeling a bit excited that they could finally talk about it, Mamoru grabbed her hand and pulled her to the table. "Luna said she would tell you about the others too."

"A little. I don't know their triggers or anything. But I do know that they will probably go into heat as soon as they reforge the Soul-Bond. And I know where Setsuna and Hotaru's soulmates are."

"You do?"

"Hai. Shingo and Haruki."

Mamoru sat back heavily, disbelief flowing through him. He had been searching records for over two years and hadn't found a single clue. Their names must have been changed, as his and Usagi's had been.

"Looks like we have about three months," he reminded her. "If we know who they are, we should focus on finding the others. Then we can just remind them who they are after you're pregnant."

Usagi giggled.

"What?" he asked, a little confused.

"Me, pregnant," Usagi said, shaking her head. "It's so freaky. I love the twins, and I knew they were going to come from us, but knowing that we're going to get pregnant soon. I don't know, it's different I guess."

"It really is," Mamoru agreed. It was hard to believe the twins had come from them. They were incredible. "I miss them."

"I do too." Usagi let out a heavy sigh. "Chibi-Usa told me they wouldn't be coming back to the past."

"I know." Mamoru frowned. "So what do we do now?"

Usagi's jaw dropped. "You're asking me? I just found out about this, and I have no idea what to do. I guess, go about our normal lives while we try to find the Shitennou."

"The hard part will be keeping it a secret from the girls." Mamoru shook his head at the thought. If Minako got so much as a hint that there was a secret she was like a dog with a bone. Ami could probably puzzle it all out through reason and logic. Makoto might beat him up to get her answers, and Rei could just read the fire. And that was if they didn't consult the Outers for help.

"Misdirection," Usagi said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's half the work of pulling a prank. Get the person to think you are doing one thing behind their back, while in reality you are doing something completely different."

"So what could we use?"

"The pregnancy," Usagi said. "I bet they all remember what Neo-King Endymion told us, and they're just waiting for me to show up and tell them I'm pregnant. So, we don't tell them. We hide it. They'll be so focused on why we haven't said anything, and finding ways to fix it, they won't even notice we aren't doing what we normally would."

Mamoru nodded. His wife was actually rather brilliant. He looked at the clock on the wall. They needed to be at her parent's house for her birthday breakfast in less than an hour. He grinned, seeing it was after ten. Ikuko knew her daughter well.

"Okay, so after your breakfast and spending the day with the girls, we come back here and get to work. Can we get Artemis and Luna both here tonight?"

Usagi shook her head. "Not until tomorrow. It's still my birthday. Tonight it's just you and me."

Mamoru grinned. He wouldn't even think of complaining. As they got ready to leave, he found himself watching his tiny wife, who in spite of her short stature had spades of personality. She had achieved several of her dreams already. The big wedding she'd always wanted, becoming a manga artist and author, and keeping all her friends together and safe. She was the most incredible person he had ever met.

"Happy Birthday Usako," he said softly, kissing her cheek.

* * *

Mamoru lay beside his sleeping wife later that night, hand under his chin as he propped himself beside her. Each breath lifted her chest, which he found beautiful, and blew a tiny curl of hair away from her mouth. She was naked in slumber, having spent hours on his last birthday present, which involved chocolate and plenty of passion. Now however, he could only wonder what would happen in three months time, when she went into heat.

Their marriage was easy. Having learned from making mistakes in the beginning, Mamoru knew to always be open and honest with Usagi about everything. What he was feeling and thinking, what was happening in his life, and what he wanted. He had come far too close to losing her. Several times. He could only hold on and pray everything would be alright.

If it was up to him, they probably would have started their family as soon as they were married. Luna and Artemis had counseled waiting, for Usagi's sake. Now however, all he wanted to do was fill her with his children and watch her body grow and change as she brought them into the world.

Still, it wasn't their only responsibility. They had to find the Shitennou, bring them back into the fold, and awaken Haruki and Shingo. How difficult could it be?

* * *

Two Weeks Later

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" Usagi hissed, slamming the file folder down on the table.

"Calm down Usagi. We know where they were. Now we just have to discover where they are." He put the file he was holding back into the cabinet. "At least we know they came back whole and healthy, even if they don't remember anything."

Usagi grunted, adding Zoicite's folder to Jadeite's and handing both over to Mamoru. "I guess," she said softy. "But what if they've scattered? They don't know who they are, or that they're supposed to protect you."

"We will find them. Trust me." Mamoru pulled her into a tight hug. "Come on. Let's get out of here before the security guard comes back."

"Hai," Usagi agreed.

She closed the drawer and they made their way back out of the records office. The halfway house was dark and chilled, even in the middle of the summer. Mamoru shivered. He had lived in this place until he was sixteen and had been allowed to access part of his inheritance. Had he stayed it was likely he would have been taken to the dark kingdom with the others and might never have met Usagi.

* * *

Three Months Later

* * *

"I found Nephrite," Mamoru said, hurrying into the kitchen with a sheet of paper in his hand. It had just come through the fax he'd set up in his study.

"Good. That's all of them then. Hard to believe they scattered that way." Usagi frowned. "Mamo-chan, do you think we can really do this?"

"I know we can Usako," he told her, kissing her temple. "We've found all four men, your cousin has moved to Tokyo, and Shingo and Hotaru are already flirting. I think we can safely say we've got this under control."

"I hope so. Everything is ready," Usagi said, looking through their files. "As soon as we get back after my heat, we can go out and get them. Who are we going after first?"

"Minako would have been first. Then Makoto. Then Ami, Rei, and you. Should we just go in that order?"

Usagi shook her head. "I don't think so. They'll suspect something if we do that. Besides, I think Minako might need a little more work than the others. Can I tell you a secret?"

Mamoru gulped. "Sure."

"Ami and Zoicite were sort of known for their trysts."

"What?" He hadn't remembered that.

"It's true. They were caught no less than six times in rather interesting places. Ami has her mind set on what she wants, and I think even though she focuses on logic, he's grown much more emotionally mature."

"Nephrite is a big romantic," Mamoru countered. "You know he would have Makoto sighing within an hour."

Usagi snorted. "Uh, no. He's shy, and so is she. Obviously they'll be kissing and hugging in no time, but it could take months for anything else to happen."

"Kunzite then. He always gets what he wants."

"What if what he wants is to just be her friend until she trusts him again?" Usagi argued.

"Jadeite and Rei," Mamoru said, desperate.

"She still has hang-ups about men," Usagi reminded him. "Remember what she went through at that party. The guy who tried to…" Usagi trailed off, unable to speak of the man without white-hot rage flowing through her. Every time she thought of it, all she could think of was Dimande pressuring her for something she wasn't willing to give.

"What if we just woke them all up at once and let them decide?" Mamoru suggested.

"Or," Usagi said, her eyes far away. "We could remind Haruki who he is first. I guarantee you, with the way Setsuna feels about him, and the way she's been so alone without him, something will happen almost immediately. The Soul-Bond will be reforged and I can almost guarantee Heat will start in her instantly.

"You have a point," Mamoru admitted. "What about Shingo and Hotaru though? They're still too young for it."

"True, but they aren't too young to start dating, and Hotaru has already had her eye on my brother. If I remind both of them who he is, I think it would be the start of something beautiful. So long as they behave," she added.

There was silence in the apartment for several minutes as the couple finalized their notes. Then Mamoru looked up at his wife, who was staring out the window, biting her lip. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I still don't feel any different," Usagi explained, turning to look at him. "I should have gone into heat a week ago, if my calendar is right. Pregnancy lasts forty weeks. I checked. I should be in heat now."

"Usako," Mamoru said, moving to stand behind her. "First of all, not all women make it to forty weeks. And it's always been a bit different with multiples. We're going to have twins. Maybe you'll only be pregnant thirty-nine weeks, or less."

"Mamo-chan," Usagi whined, "I want our babies."

"I know. I do too," he admitted. "I wish we didn't have to wait until you went into heat."

Usagi frowned, looking up at him, then turned back to the window again. "Luna said…," she bit her lip in concentration. "She said couples who weren't already pregnant. Maybe we don't have to wait."

Mamoruc chuckled. "All in good time Usako. Do you even know when you're going to ovulate? I've never kept track."

Giggling, Usagi nodded her head. "It passed just a few days ago," she admitted. "I was hopng for the Heat to start then, but it didn't."

Mamoru frowned, disappointed. He wanted his babies just as much as she did. The twins meant a lot to them both and he couldn't wait to meet their infant selves. He would do just about anything to give Usagi his children. Many more than just two. If he had his way it would be a dozen, if not more. He wished her Heat would hurry up.

* * *

One Week Later

* * *

Usagi woke up in a bad mood. Nothing was going right. Her heat still hadn't started. Rei had been on her case about keeping secrets for weeks. Luna was moody and had snapped at her twice the night before. And Mamoru was... well, he was always horny, which made Usagi feel guilty because she wanted to go into heat, but somehow couldn't. Something was obviously wrong with her. She would never have her babies. She and Mamoru would end up childless and he would start to resent her for it.

Wiping away tears, Usagi got out of the bed and stomped into the bathroom, uncaring if the neghbors below them got annoyed. It was hot and sticky and she had woken up covered in sweat after a strange dream she couldn't even remember. All she wanted was the entire world's supply of chocolate and a cold shower.

Already she was far too late for the twins to be born on her birthday. According to her research, gestation of forty weeks started counting on the first day of her last period. And Usagi's last period had been three weeks before. She wasn't pregnant yet. She'd taken an early predictor test. Nothing.

Tears poured down her cheeks as she washed and dried herself, then Usagi made her way out into the living room where her drafting table had been set up. It was the perfect place to create her manga, but when she sat down at the table, she found she had no desire to create anything. Instead, she lay her head on her arms and cried all over the drawings she had finished the day before.

"Usagi-chan?" Luna called, hurrying to the desk. "What's wrong?"

"I'm never going to have my babies!" Usagi wailed. "I'll never go into heat because there is something wrong with me!"

"Oh Usa," Luna purred, cuddling under the blonde's chin. "Of course there is nothing wrong with you. Everyone is different."

"But it's already too late," Usagi sniffled.

"We both know that isn't true Usagi-chan," Luna scolded. "I talked to Mamoru myself."

Wiping her cheeks, Usagi looked hopefully down at her feline companion. "Can you just make it start already?" she asked.

Luna shook her head. "No Usagi. I have no control over that." The cat lapsed into silence however, and wore a thoughtful expression that gave the girl hope.

* * *

"No." Usagi pushed the dress on the rack to the side, then looked at the next one. "Uh uhn. Nope." She moved that one to the side as well, shaking her head. None of them appealed to her. She didn't like anything in the store. She just wanted out.

Minako, who adored shopping, didn't seem ready to leave. Usagi however had suffered enough. It was far too hot for October. She wasn't happy about not going into heat. Nothing was working the way she wanted it to, and all she really wanted to do was go home and go to sleep.

"I need out of this store," she complained to Minako, who tried shoving her into the changing room to try on a silver dress.

"Put that on and I'll think about it," Minako insisted.

Growling at her friend, Usagi did as she was told and put the dress on. She could hear voices coming through the door and wondered what Minako was up to. Turning in the small area, she checked out her reflection in the mirror. The dress was tight around the bodice and waist, with a sweetheart neckline, then draped loosely over her hips with flowing fabric that was soft to the touch. Satisfied, she opened the door to tell Minako she would buy the dress, when her vision turned red and a scream of rage erupted from her mouth.

Standing next to Minako, whispering, was Mamoru. Anger filtered through her system, seeing her husband with another woman. Stalking out of the fitting room, Usagi's fists clenched tightly together and she drew one arm back to punch Minako. Her arm stopped before she could connect with Minako's face. Growling angrily, she glared up at Mamoru, who had a tight grip on her wrist.

"Let me go. I have to kill her. You're mine!" Usagi hissed. She reached again and again, but was stopped by her husband. Turning her glare on him, she ordered him to let go. "You belong to me!" she nearly screamed.

"Oh shit," Mamoru whispered, his face going white. Then, moving more quickly than Usagi would have believed possible, he dragged her back into the fitting room, stripped her out of the dress, and hurried her into her regular clothing. Then he pulled her out of the room, one arm banded tightly around her waist and arms, and asked Minako to buy the dress and deliver it later.

"What's wrong with Usagi?" Minako asked.

"I'll tell you later," Mamoru promised. "But at the moment, I need to get her out of here. I'll call you. Promise."

Then he was dragging Usagi out of the store and into the nearest alley. Usagi, who was trying to free her arms so she could turn and hold her husband, glared up at him and bit his upper arm. She giggled at his cry of pain, then smirked at him. Part of her wanted to go back and beat Minako to a pulp. The other part of her wanted to tie her husband down and have her way with him for about a month.

She heard Mamoru speaking and tried to pay attention, but it was difficult. "Luna," she heard him say. "It's time. Usagi tried to punch Minako." Wondering what that had to do with anything, Usagi reached around her husband and grabbed a handful of his jean-clad bottom, squeezing gently. "Usagi's in heat."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Believe it or not, I was really hesitating to write this chapter. I've written love scenes before, so that was nothing new, but the intensity of Heat/Rut was a difficult concept to square in my head. On the one hand I wanted them fully aware and accepting, but on the other I wanted to show the drive of the Crystals. This chapter has a lot of steamy fun, but also some sweet and funny moments (at least, that's the hope). Please tell me what you think!

* * *

**HEAT  
Chapter Three  
****Moon Madness**

* * *

Mamoru knew he had to hurry. After letting Luna know where they were going and what had happened, all while Usagi tried to tear his clothing off in the alley, Mamoru focused all his attention on the Moon Palace, closing his eyes and picturing the bed chamber that he remembered. When he blinked his eyes open again, soft pink ruffles on the massive bed met his eyes. Usagi tended to keep the room more frilly that he would like, though at their apartment their bedroom was full of darker colors.

He sighed in relief, just before his buttons exploded across the room as Usagi tore his shirt off. Pain washed through him as Usagi bit his chest aggressively. He remembered all too well how his own heat had made him possessive and jealous. He had nearly ruined his friendship with Motoki in the early days. Now he knew he had to be patient with his wife.

Except, Mamoru wasn't feeling patient. In fact, the more Usagi touched him, the more aggressive she became, the more Mamoru felt his own control slipping. Without thinking about his next move he heard Usagi's clothing tearing under his fingertips and his entire focus became getting inside her. As she slipped her fingertips into his hair, Mamoru crashed his mouth down onto hers, not caring about breathing or anything else, so long as he never had to lose contact with her.

"So perfect," her murmured against her lips before biting into the lower one. Usagi's moan drove him to new heights and Mamoru realized that for the first time in three years, he didn't need to hold back.

Usagi's tiny, overly hot hands, wrapped around his shaft and Mamoru realized she had torn his jeans and underwear to shreds without his noticing. He had been so focused on her sweet mouth that he hadn't felt a thing. With her own clothing in tatters on the floor around them, Usagi wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed against him.

Heat. Bliss. Paradise. Every little thing about her drove him on. Suddenly he was pressing Usagi against the wall and his mouth traveled to her neck where he kissed and nipped with a fervor he'd never known. This was rut. The drive to get inside his woman and leave his children behind. Nothing would stop them now. Not that he wanted to stop.

Usagi leaned her head back against the wall to give him more access to her neck. Mamoru took full advantage, licking a line from her chin to her collarbone before nipping at her sensitive skin. All the while he was rubbing himself against her wet slit, ready to take her but needing to hear her need for him. He pressed harder and enjoyed the sound of her moans and heavy, panting breaths. She wanted him. She needed him.

"Usako," he groaned.

"Get inside me," she whimpered. "Now. Get inside me. Please!" She groaned, tossing her head from side to side as the heat overwhelmed every other need.

At her plea, Mamoru found he couldn't hold himself back. Her need called to his, making the passion he felt a million times stronger. Even when their bond had reforged he hadn't felt anything so intense. He let his cock slip into her folds and then drove deep in a single thrust, praising the heavens that they fit together so perfectly. Encased in her velvety heat, Mamoru felt her squeeze her muscles tightly. A primal roar echoed through the bedchamber as he pulled back and drove again, and then again and again.

It almost seemed as though the world around them slowed. Mamoru could feel the bead of sweat running down his spine, could feel the intense heat of her inner walls wrapped tightly around him. He could feel her fingernails digging into the flesh of his ass, trying to drag him closer, and feel her hot little mouth on his collarbone.

"Usako!"

"Mamo," Usagi moaned, driving herself onto his shaft as though she would die if he didn't fill her completely. Every touch drove him higher and higher until he felt he would burst into flames. Her thrusts over him and her pulsating muscles made it impossible to do anything but fill her with his seed. He yelled triumphantly as he felt his first dose entering her depths. His body moved on it's own, his hips pressing deeper and harder as he released everything.

But he wasn't done. Not by a long shot. His wife hadn't had so much as a single orgasm, and he had only come inside her one time. That wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. He was going to keep going until neither of them could move. He dragged her body closer and stumbled to the bed, still locked inside her.

Letting her fall onto the soft mattress, and off his throbbing cock, made Mamoru whimper with need. He had to be back inside her, now. With Usagi's hips and legs hanging over the edge of the bed, he had the perfect position. He spread her wide and sank into her again, enjoying the hot embrace. Usagi's eyes were heavy-lidded as she stared up at him, her arms lifting as though to call him home.

Mamoru gave a feral grin as his eyes caught on her breasts, which were free of any constricting clothing. Her pink nipples were puckered into turgid peaks that made his mouth water. He needed to taste them. Even as he began thrusting into his wife, Mamoru's mouth closed over a nipple and he felt his desire increase. She was so perfect.

Usagi let out a scream of pleasure as Mamoru tortured her nipples and slammed himself into her again and again. He felt her inner walls pulsating around him and grinned, knowing he was making her feel all that pleasure. Knowing she would never want anyone but him. Knowing that they could stay like this forever. He drove deeper and harder, enjoying her satisfied moans and pleas for more. Usagi was _his_. _His_ wife. The mother of _his_ children. She was everything he had ever wanted or needed and she was under him, in his arms.

"Fill me up," Usagi groaned.

As though his body was under her command alone, he tensed as another wave of his seed prepared to flow into her. His shout deafened him for a moment, even with his mouth around her nipple, his face dug into the soft flesh. Mamoru felt his body nearly convulsing with the power of it. His knees went limp and only holding her kept him upright. He crawled onto the bed, still connected to his wife, and continued to thrust as more and more of his seed filled her.

* * *

Two Days Later

* * *

Usagi's brain had misfired somewhere along the lines, and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to go back to normal. For two and a half days she and Mamoru had been insatiable, and unstoppable. Sometimes he was the aggressor, sometimes she was. Her body was deliciously sore in places she had never imagined, and she still wanted more. Nothing mattered but being with him, connected completely, and being filled with his children.

Staring down at her husband's prone form, Usagi felt powerful. She loved the way beads of sweat meandered over his muscled chest. She enjoyed his panting breaths as he came down from another orgasm. She especially delighted in the feeling of his still-hard cock inside her. Giggling triumphantly, she wriggled her hips, making him dance inside her.

"Usako," he pleaded, his hips lifting in need.

Usagi bent and kissed his firm mouth, nipped at his bottom lip, and drove herself onto him to the point of pain. She needed more. They needed more. He was _hers_! She moved torturously slow for several minutes until he was nearly begging, before she grabbed his firm chest and drove herself onto him again and again. She needed to be filled.

"Please Usako," he begged. "More. Harder."

Usagi could do nothing but give in to his impassioned plea. She drove herself deeper onto him, harder, faster. Her body moved with a mind of it's own, becoming sinuous and wild. She felt her inner walls begin to flutter and knew the orgasm she was about to give them both would overwhelm anything either of them had ever felt. And she was absolutely certain it would be the one that created their children.

Harder and harder she sank over his shaft, her nails digging into the flesh of his chest as she watched his face scrunch up tight and his body tense. She felt his muscles clench and drove down one last time, screaming through the most incredible orgasm of her life. She felt the heat of his seed filling her inner walls and white exploded in her head as the orgasm hit her with all the force of a runaway train.

The world faded away.

* * *

"Usako?" Mamoru's frantic voice reached through the darkness, pulling Usagi's mind to the surface. It took everything she had to blink her eyes open and stare up at the man she loved. It was curious though. She remembered being on top of him. Now she was on her back, his body hovering over hers.

"Wow," she breathed, blushing.

"You can say that again," Mamoru chuckled. He bent his head and gave her a gentle kiss.

Something was different. Usagi stared up at him, slightly confused, until she realized she wasn't going insane with sexual need anymore. She grinned, hoping it meant what she thought it did. She knew the question was in her eyes as she stared at him.

Mamoru moved out of her vision for a moment, and then she felt the gentle caress of his lips over her belly and his intake of breath. She knew, in that instant, that they were pregnant. She was going to carry his children. Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Mamo would be theirs.

"Oh Mamo," she breathed. "Is it true?"

"Hai," he whispered. "I can feel them. They're in there."

"We're going to have our babies," Usagi moaned, then burst into tears. Overwhelming relief flooded through her and Usagi realized just how afraid she had been that their children would never be born.

"Usako," Mamoru responded, laying against her and nuzzling his face into her neck. "Oh Usako."

"Mamo-chan," Usagi murmured, snuggling even closer. "I'm so tired," she whispered.

"Sleep Usako. Let's both just get some sleep."

Usagi nodded her agreement even as Mamoru pulled the blanket up over them and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto her side and her back up against his chest as he curled around her. Within moments exhaustion had taken him and his soft snores could be heard. Usagi giggled, then yawned. She was happy. So very happy. Another yawn broke loose and her eyes closed as she drifted into the most restful and relaxing sleep of her life.

* * *

Hours later, Mamoru woke up, his mind fully clear for the first time in years. There was absolutely no drive to make his wife pregnant. He stared down at her, the look of peace on her face making him happy. He wanted her. That would never change. Thankfully it wasn't that overwhelming need that had made him feel so out of control. He could just enjoy her.

Glancing around, Mamoru found his communicator near one of the posts on the foot of the bed and gently removed his arms from around Usagi's waist to reach for it. Then he climbed out of bed and went for the bathroom. He and Usagi had worked together to modernize the palace bathrooms. It had taken a lot of work, but it was worth it, especially considering what heat and rut were like. He felt bad for the others, who would soon be surprised with just how much it could overwhelm them.

After relieving his needs, Mamoru put his communicator on the counter, climbed into the shower, turned on the water to nearly scalding, and leaned his head against the tile wall as the water washed over him. He knew he should probably call Luna, who would be nearly insane with worry, but first he needed to gather himself and put on clean clothing. He was happy Usagi had long ago talked him into leaving spare clothing on the moon.

Once he was refreshed and clean, Mamoru threw on clothing and grabbed the communicator. He was worried. It had never been so long since he and Usagi had communicated with the others.

When he opened the communicator, he found more than a dozen messages from Minako. Their plan with her would have to change. She was already too suspicious. He wondered what Luna had told her and the other girls. Then he found her message mixed in with all the others, telling him she had informed the girls that a rare alignment of planets with the moon had made her act strangely and that Mamoru had brought her somewhere safe. He shook his head. The girls would never buy it, especially considering that they knew soon Usagi would be pregnant. Not to mention, they would check to see if their was any such alignment.

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi's voice was low and soft.

He looked over at her and smiled. She was so incredibly beautiful, half sitting up in bed. Her hair was an absolute wreck. One bun was gone completely, the other was hanging about halfway off her head and hardly had anything left in the band that held it in place. There were knots all through it and he knew it would take him a long time to get through them all.

"Usako, you're awake," he said, standing up and moving to her side. "I missed you," he said, kissing the tip of her nose, then her sweet lips.

"That's silly Mamo-chan. I'm right here." She giggled at him.

Mamoru grinned back. "I know. But you were sleeping." She giggled again, making him feel happier than he ever had.

"Is it really true?" Usagi asked, sounding hesitant. "Are we going to have our babies?"

"It's true," Mamoru told her, resting his hand over her belly. He could feel them in there, though he knew they didn't even have heartbeats yet. They were already very real to them. And that meant everything.

"What am I going to say to Minako?" Usagi groaned, throwing herself back onto the pillows. "I was ready to claw her eyes out." She shook her head in bewilderment.

"Jealousy," Mamoru reminded her. "I had felt it, sort of, but it was nothing like what happened when I started going into rut. It's like the thinking part of my brain shuts down and the emotions take over. It can be scary."

"And you've lived like this for three years," Usagi murmured. "I can't even imagine."

"Remember, I had help controlling it."

"Luna said it was the King."

Mamoru smiled. "Yes, my father helped me. He taught me how to use the Golden Crystal to control it, and he helped keep me strong at the worst points."

"I'm glad you had help. I wish I could have been there for you." She blushed. "I never knew it could be like that," she explained. "I didn't feel like I was in control of myself, or my wants and needs. I mean, I knew it was me, and I wanted it like nothing else in my life, but I felt like I was a passenger, if that makes sense."

"It makes perfect sense," Mamoru admitted. Even when he had been in rut before he'd had some control. She was right, it had felt almost like something else had taken over. The Crystals. Still, he wasn't disappointed, and he could feel Usagi's happiness through their bond, so he knew she wasn't either."

"I still don't get why my Heat didn't come when I normally ovulate," Usagi said. "I could actually feel my body releasing eggs when we started, but I'd never felt that before."

"I don't know," Mamoru admitted. "Maybe your cycle is different. Some women don't ovulate in the middle. Everyone is unique."

Usagi shook her head. "I don't suppose it matters," she said softly. "We have to figure out our next move. Minako is going to be more suspicious than ever. I know we planned on just hiding my pregnancy to make them think that's what we are hiding, but we might have to go with a slightly different strategy."

"Like what?" Mamoru wondered.

"We get her as a co-conspirator," Usagi said, laughing. "It's the best prank ever. We tell her everything. Almost everything," she corrected with a blush, "and then we set her loose on Kunzite and she can help us with the others."

"Poor Kunzite," Mamoru laughed. "He'll never know what hit him."

"Exactly. We could have so much fun." Usagi's eyes were filled with amusement. "Now that that's out of the way, I need a shower and we need to contact Luna and tell her we should be back in a few hours."

"Uh uhn," Mamoru murmured, kissing his wife. "We'll go back tomorrow. I want to take advantage of our time alone without being pressured. I want to take my time with you and do all the things we were in too much of a hurry to do before."

Usagi blushed crimson, but nodded her head before she hurried into the bathroom. Mamoru threw himself backward on the bed and crossed his arms under his head, staring up at the ceiling which had a large starburst embossed on it. He couldn't stop thinking about Chibi-Mamo and Chibi-Usa. His children existed in the world. Usagi was carrying them. They were going to be _parents_!

* * *

The Next Day

* * *

A flutter of shock filtered through Usagi when she and Mamoru appeared in their apartment the following afternoon. Minako was sitting on the couch, arms folded across her chest, glaring at Luna and Artemis. Usagi had to giggle at the way Artemis was avoiding eye contact with the other blonde.

"Usagi-chan!" Minako yelled, standing instantly. She launched herself at Usagi so hard it knocked her back a step. "Oh I was so worried Usagi!" Minako announced, hugging her to within an inch of her life. "Where have you been? What happened to you? Why were you acting so strange? These two won't tell me _anything_!" The last was said with another glare at Luna and Artemis, who were now staring at them with wild eyes.

Usagi turned to Luna. "We have to let her in on this Luna. You know she won't let it go until she gets answers."

Artemis smiled. "I told you," he whispered to his mate.

"I knew you were hiding something!" Minako announced. "Be happy I don't dye you green!" She stuck her tongue out at Artemis, who had long been her friend and advisor. Usagi felt guilty. The last thing she'd wanted to do was cause problems between them.

"Come sit down," Usagi said, tugging Minako's arm.

"You're pregnant!" Minako suddenly announced, falling to her knees in front of Usagi. "I can feel their soulmates!"

"What?" Usagi said, shocked. She'd had no idea Minako's skills had progressed so far. She shook her head. "Yes, I'm pregnant, but only just. Right now we have other things we need to tell you."

Minako however was busy murmuring to the twins as though she was holding a normal conversation with them. Usagi couldn't help herself. She broke down laughing until she doubled over with it. It took several minutes to calm herself, and then a few more to get Minako settled on the couch with a promise not to do anything until she had heard them out.

"We need your help," Usagi told her. "I should have known we needed the goddess of love on our side from the beginning." Usagi reached for Minako's hand. "What would you say if I told you that when I made that Wish after defeating Metalia, Kunzite and the others were brought back to life as well?"

Minako was silent for a long moment, her azure eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I would ask where he is so I can make him mine again."

Usagi sighed in relief. "Good. Now that that's settled, we need your help." She laid out everything she knew, with help from Mamoru and both the feline advisors. It took well over an hour, but when she was done, Minako's eyes were bright and sparkling with mischief and fun.

"Let's get started," the other blonde said, standing up. "I have a husband to catch. Then we can work on Haruki and Setsuna." She rubbed her hands together. "This is going to be so much fun!"


End file.
